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On 28 July1988, the Comédie-Française gave a private performance of "Mystère de la charité de Jeanne d'arc" ("Mystery of the Charity of Joan of Arc") by Charles Péguy to Pope John Paul II in the gardens of Castel Gandolfo. Antoine Vitez, the administrator of the
Comédie-Française, was keen to be on board.

At the end of the performance, a wide-ranging
discussion took place between Pope John Paul II and Antoine Vitez, in which many
topics were addressed: the theatre,
actors, the inquisition, power, science, Communism, the Church, etc.
Following this discussion, the novelist
Jean-Philippe Mestre had the idea of immersing himself in the writings of these
two people and imagining a dialogue between John Paul II and Antoine Vitez, which
is transcribed in this play.